Apparatus for generating medicinal fumes and applying the same to the body of a patient



J. F. CLASS APPARATUS FOR GENERATING MEDICINAL FUMES AND APPLYING THE SAME T0 THE BODY OF A PATIENT Filed Aprll 28, 1921 2 SheetsSheet 1 JOH/VE (L455.

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Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

outrun P AT T OFFICE JOHN F. CLASS, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

,AIPPARATUS FOR GENERATING MEDICINAL FU'IJIES AND APPLYING- SAM'E LO' THE BODY 01'! A PATIENT. i

. Application filed April 28, 1921.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN'F. Cress, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of lilontgomery and State oi. Ohio, have invented certain new and use iful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Medicinal Fumes and Applying. the Same to the Body of a Patient, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an apparatus for generating medicinal fumes and applying the same to the body of a patient, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the apparatus shown and described in the application for patent filed by me December i, 1919, Serial No. 342,504.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind which will be simple in its construction and operation; with which the fume laden vapors may be applied to all or a selected portion of the body; and with which the character and amount of turns laden vapor applied to the body may be regulated at will.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. v1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of an apparatus embodying my invention as a whole; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the improved generator; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Figs. 4;, 5 and 6 are detail views the several balile plates forming part of the generator.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and in Fig. l I have shown a typical installation of the apparatus embodying the devices for apply ing the vapors to the different parts of the body. The generator, which is shown at 1 in dotted lines, is usually located in the basement or on a lower floor and is con nee-ted by a conduit 2 with a tubular distributing pi 3e 8 whichinay be located below or adjacent to the floor of the room above the generator and is connected with the generator by a conduit 2. The distributing chamber 3 is of a diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the conduit 2 and the vapors passing from the generator to the conduit will expand therein and will be thoroughly mixed and partially cooled. Connected with this distributing device are the devices for applying the vapors to the Serial No. 465,111.

body and, as shown in Fig. L l have connected withthe distributing pipe a cabinet ii tor applying the vapors 'to the body as'a whole; a device B for applying the vapors to the arm ot' a patient; a device C forapplying the vapors to the legs of the patient;

a device; D for applying the vapors to the head of the patient; and {a deviceE for applying the vapors to the throatof apati'erit. it will be understood that it is not necessary that an applianceof each type here showushould be employed in each installation but that the number andcharacter'of the appliances may vary in different instalof a diameter somewhat less than the diame- 1 ter of the casing so as to provide an air passage 8 about the sides thereof. A suitable heater is provided for heatingthe water in the receptacle and, as here, shown, this heater consistsof an ordinary gas burner 9. I have mounted in the water receptacle 7 a plurality of baliies 10, 11, and 12,'which, as here shown, consist of truncated cones of sheet metal, each having at its lower edge a series oi? openings, or notches,13 and each having its upper end open, as shown at 114, thus permitting the free circulation of water about these bailles. The water receptacle 7 is filled to a point adjacent to and preferahly slightly above the top of the larger baliie 12, a filling receptacle 15, connected with thewvater receptacle 7 by a pipe 16,-

being provided to facilitate the filling of the water receptacle.

The arrangement oi the balhes within the receptacle is such as to greatly facilitate and expedite the generation of vapor, or i steam, from the water in large quantities. The casing 4 is divided into two parts by a partition 17 arranged above the water receptacle 7 and this partition is V-provided with a central opening 18 through which the vapors arising from the water and the anipasslng aboutthe sides of the water receptable may pass into the upper chamber or compartment. Arranged in the upper compartment of the casing and between the water receptacle and the outlet 6 are a plurality of shallow trays 19 adapted to contain substances from which medicinal fumes may be generated, such as minerals or chemicals, or both, and the arrangement of these trays is such that the vapors passing through the opening 18 in the partition 17 must pass over all of the trays before they can escape through the outlet 6. To this end the alternate trays are of difierent diameters, the smaller trays being of such a diameter as to provide passageways between the outer edges thereof and the casing, as shown at 20, and the larger trays being of such a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the casing and having central openings 21. Thus it will be apparent that the vapors entering the upper compartment through the opening 18 will pass first about the edge of the lowermost tray, then across the upper surface of this tray to the opening 21 of the succeeding tray, and through this opening across the upper surface of the tray to the edge of the next tray, and so on. The heated vapors will act upon the substances contained in the tray to cause the latterto I give off fumes which are taken up by the vapors and carried thereby through the outlet 6 to the drum 22 with which is connected the conduit 2 leading to a cooling and distributing chamber 3. lhe cooling and dis tributing chamber 3 is of relatively large capacity so that the vapors entering the same from the conduit 2 will expand and be cooled and thoroughly mixed and then distributed to the various vapor-applying devices. In the present construction this chamber is in the form of an elongated tube of a diameter considerably greater than the diameter of the conduit 2, this form providing a chamber of the desired capacity and facilitating the distribution of the va pors. The drum 2 2 is provided for the purpose of connecting a plurality of conduits 2 with the same generator, as shown in Fig. '1. Connected with the drum 22 and extending downwardly alongside of the generator is an auxiliary conduit 23, the lower end of which is connected with a fluid receptacle 24- adapted to contain medicated water, or the like, the connection between the receptacle and the conduit being controlled by a valve 25. At a point above the valve 25 the auxiliary conduit 23 is connected by a conduit 26 with the interior of the casing act the generator, this connection being preferably made with the passageway between the water receptacle 7 and the wall of the casing so that but little, if any, of the vapors rising from the water receptacle will enter the conduit 26. The conduit 26 is controlled by a valve 27. The connection between the outlet 6 of the generator and the conduit 2 is controlled'by a valve 28, which is preferably arranged between the outlet and the drum 22. By means of this arrangement of valves the strength of the fume-laden vapors discharged through the conduit 2 may be controlled. When the generator is first placed in operation after the trays have been charged with fresh minerals, or chemicals, a relatively large quantity of fumes will be generated, but after the generator has been in operation for a considerable period of time the minerals or chemicals will become more or less exhausted and a smaller quantity of fumeswill be generated. To main tain the strength of the Vapors substantially uniform, the valve 28 may be partially closed during the early part of the period of oper ation and the valve 27 partly opened, thus restricting the quantity of vapors which pass to the drum 22 and permitting a quantity of heated air to pass through the conduit 26 and the auxiliary conduit 23 to the drum where it mixes with the vapors and is discharged into the conduit 2. As the quantity of fumes generated decreases the value. 28 may be further opened and the valve 27 closed to a corresponding extent, thus permitting more vapors to escape from the generator and admitting less air to the drum. When it is desired to utilize the medicated water, or like, in the container, 24, the valve 25 will be opened to a greater. or lesser extent, as may be desired, and the vapors from this water will be drawn upwardly through the auxiliar 1 conduit 23 to the drum where they will mingle with the vapors from the generator.

WVhile I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a plurality of devices for applying vapor to the human body and a tubular distributing chamber connected with said devices, of a generator embodying a casing having an air inlet, and a valve controlled outlet, a water receptacle spaced from said outlet, a heater for said receptacle, trays arranged'between said receptacle and said outlet, a conduit leading from saidoutlet to. said distributing chamier and of less diameter than said chamber, a liquid receptacle outside of said casin an auxiliary conduit connected with the first mentioned conduit and also connected with said liquid receptacle and with said casing below the top of the water receptacle therein, and valves to control said connections.

' 2. In an apparatus of the character described, a generator comprising a casing having an air inlet and an outlet, a Water receptacle arranged within said casing, a

frusto-conical baffle arranged in said receptacle, open at its upper end'and having passageways at its lower end; a heater for said receptacle, trays arranged within said casing between said receptacle and said outlet, a conduit connected with said outlet, a valve to control said connection, an auxiliary conduit connected at one end with the first mentioned conduit and connected with said casing below the top of the water receptacle therein, a valve to control said connection, a. liquid receptacle arranged outside of said casing and connected with said auxiliary conduit near the lower end thereof, a valve to control said connection, and means connected with the first-mentioned conduit for applying vapors to the human body.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a generator comprising a casing having an air inlet near the bottom thereof and an outlet at the top thereof, a. water receptacle arranged in the lower portion of said casing to provide an air passage be tween the same and the wall of said casing, a plurality of frusto-conical battles of different sizes mounted in said water receptacle one above the other, the lower edge of each of said bail'les restingupon the bottom of said receptacle and having notches therein and each of said batlies being open at its upper end,a heater for said water reccptacle, a plurality of trays interposed between said water receptacle and said outlet, a conduit connected with said outlet, a valve to control said connection, and a device connected with said conduit for applying vapor to the human body.

l. In an apparatus of the character described, a generator comprising a casing having an air inlet near the bottom thereof and an outlet near the top thereof, a water receptacle arranged in the lower part of said casing and spaced from the Walls thereof to form an air passage, a heater for said water receptacle, a plurality of trays mounted in said casing between said water receptacle and said outlet, a drum connected with said outlet, a valve to control said connection, an auxiliary conduit connected With said drum and with said air passageway below the top of said water receptacle, a valve to control said last mentioned connection, a

liquid receptacle arranged outside of said casing and connected with said auxiliary conduit below its point of connection with said air passageway, a valve to control the last mentioned connection, a conduit leading from said drum, and a vapor applying device connected with said conduit.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a generator comprising a casing having an air inlet near the bottom thereof andan outlet at the top thereof, a water receptacle arranged in the lower portion of said casing to provide an air passage about the same, a plurality of frustoconical battles of different sizes mounted in said water receptacle, one above the other, the lower edge of each of said baffles resting upon the bottom of said receptacle and having openings therein, and each of said baffles being open at its upper end, a heater for said water receptacle, a plurality of trays interposed between said water receptacle and said outlet, and means for connecting said outlet with a device for applying vapors to the human body.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a generator comprising a casing having an air inlet near the bottom thereof and an outlet near the top thereof, a water receptacle arranged in the lower portion of said casing and having an air passage about the same, a plurality of frusto-eonical battles of different sizes mounted in said Water receptacle one above the other, and each having an opening at its upper end, and a heater for said water receptacle.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, agenerator comprising a casing having an air inlet near the bottom thereof and an outlet near the top thereof, a Water receptacle arranged in the lower portion of said casing and having an air passage about the same, a plurality of frusto-conical battles of different sizes mounted in said water receptacle one above. the other, the lower edge of said bellies resting upon the bottom of said receptacle and having openings therein and each of said baflles having an opening in its upper end, and a heater for said Water receptacle.

in testimony whereof I afliX my signature hereto. I

JOHN F. GLASS. 

